Helping behavior viewed from the recipients’ standpoints : The judgment of elementary and junior high school students and implications for Moral Education

The purpose of this study is to clarify the helping behavior viewed from the recipients’ standpoints. A total of 533 elementary and junior high school students responded to our survey. The respondents were asked whether they want to be helped or not in following three situations: (1) you fall down; (2) you forget your homework; (3) you are crying behind the school building. As a result, we found that junior high school students generally want less helping behavior than elementary school students. For example, in situation 3, the elementary school students wanted to be helped, while most 8th- and 9th-grade students did not want to be helped. These results are useful in Moral Education to nurture the altruism.本稿は平成25-28年度日本学術振興会科学研究費（研究代表者：宮里智恵）の助成を受け，実施された研究の一部である

Research on Values as Important Components of Peace

The aim of this research was to clarify the basic values for peace education. In this research, we consulted a study on values that was conducted in 2003 in Australia and investigated values among Japanese primary and junior school students and adults, so as to make clear whether common values exist between Japan and Australia. The results were as follows. Firstly, each country has values that are particular to it and rooted in its cultural and religious backgrounds. Our research found that Japan and Australia share multiple values. Secondly, although countries share values, the actual content of those values differs depending on the country, It will be desirable to foster common values by using diverse methods that are suited to the circumstances of particular countries. Having conducted the present comparative research on the two countries Japan and Australia, we believe that it will be possible to further clarify common values by carrying out the same surveys on multiple countries with differing cultural and religious backgrounds. Thereby, the educational contents and methods for constructing peaceful societies could also be clarified. This might constitute a step towards the building of world peace through education

Differences in the motion of typically developing children aged 4–6 years putting on trousers in a standing position

　This study was designed to assess differences in the motion of putting on trousers in a standing position in typically developing children aged 4–6 years, and to find a relation between it and single-leg standing.　Participants in this study were 50 typically developing children (28 boys and 22 girls; 4.5±0.4 years, 5.5±0.3 years, 6.6±0.3 years). They performed two tasks: 10 s single-leg standing and putting on trousers in a standing position.　Based on the motion characteristics, the motions of putting on trousers were classified three types. Compared to types 1 and 2, type 3 showed that participants flexed their trunk, grasped the waistline of the trousers near the support leg knee, and fixed the trousers and extended swing leg to fit the trousers. These motion characteristics decreased the total time, path length, and anterior-posterior（AP）maximum displacement while putting on trousers. Moreover, the age increased as the type changing from 1 to 3. When standing on a single leg, the single-leg standing time increased, as did the path velocity, the AP and medial-lateral direction velocity and maximum displacement decreased as the type changing from 1 to 3.　These results suggested that the three types motion of putting on trousers in a standing position matured by age for typically developing children aged 4–6 years. The types were related with the ability to stand on a single leg

Oxidative stress induction of DJ-1 protein in reactive astrocytes scavenges free radicals and reduces cell injury

Astrocytes, one of the predominant types of glial cells, function as both supportive and metabolic cells for the brain. Under cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced oxidative conditions, astrocytes accumulate and activate in the ischemic region. DJ-1 has recently been shown to be a sensor of oxidative stress in living cells. However, the function of astrocytic DJ-1 is still unknown. In the present study, to clarify the effect of astrocytic DJ-1 protein under massive oxidative insult, we used a focal ischemic rat model that had been subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion. We then investigated changes in the distribution of DJ-1 in astrocytes, DJ-1 release from cultured astrocytes, and the effects of recombinant DJ-1 protein on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced death in normal and DJ-1-knockdown SH-SY5Y cells and on in vitro scavenging of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) by electron spin resonance spectrometry. At 24 h after 2-h MCAO and reperfusion, an infarct lesion was markedly observed using magnetic resonance imaging and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. In addition, reactive astrocytes enhanced DJ-1 expression in the penumbral zone of the ischemic core and that DJ-1 protein was extracellularly released from astrocytes by H2O2 in in vitro primary cultures. Although DJ-1-knockdown SH-SY5Y cells were markedly vulnerable to oxidative stress, treatment with glutathione S-transferase-tagged recombinant human DJ-1 protein (GST-DJ-1) significantly inhibited H2O2-induced cell death. In addition, GST-DJ-1 protein directly scavenged •OH. These results suggest that oxidative stress induces the release of astrocytic DJ-1 protein, which may contribute to astrocyte-mediated neuroprotection

Validation and Factor Analysis of the Japanese Version of the Highs Scale in Perinatal Women

Background: The Highs scale has been developed to evaluate hypomanic symptoms in the first postpartum week. However, it has not been elucidated whether this scale is also applicable to pregnant women. To address this issue, we confirmed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Japanese version of the Highs scale for pregnant and postpartum women.Methods: 418 women provided effective responses to both the Highs scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during early pregnancy (before week 25), late pregnancy (around week 36), at 5 days and at 1 month after delivery. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed for each group. Cronbach's alpha was calculated and the correlation of the Highs scale with EPDS was analyzed. The correlation between the subscales was analyzed at four time points, and the correlation of subscales between the four time points was confirmed.Results: This scale was found to have the two-factor structure with elation and agitation subscales. The two subscales had reasonable internal consistency at all time points (Cronbach's alpha range: Factor 1, 0.696–0.758; Factor 2, 0.553–0.694). The overall scale had reasonable internal consistency at all time points (Cronbach's alpha range: 0.672–0.738). Based on the correlation analysis of the two subscales and EPDS, discriminative and convergent validity were indicated at all time points, confirming the construct validity of the Highs scale. Subscale scores showed a significant correlation with EPDS at all time points (r = 0.388, 0.384, 0.498, and 0.442, p < 0.01).Conclusions: The Japanese version of the Highs scale is reliable and valid, and can be applied for evaluating the hypomanic symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum period

Anti-inflammatory effects of garenoxacin on IL-8 production and ERK1/2 activation induced by lipopolysaccharides in A549 and THP-1 cells.

The anti-inflammatory properties of macrolides have been applied to the treatment of inflammatory airway diseases. Although the anti-inflammatory properties of fluoroquinolones have been reported, no reports are available regarding a newly developed fluoroquinolone, garenoxacin (GRNX). To examine the immunomodulatory effect of GRNX, we examined the transcription and secretion of inflammatory cytokines by human airway epithelial cells and monocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A human lung epithelial cell line (A549) and a human monocyte cell line (THP-1) were stimulated with LPS and exposed to different concentrations of GRNX. The transcription and secretion of interleukin 8 (IL-8) in both A549 and THP-1 cells was measured by real-time PCR and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Treatment with GRNX significantly inhibited the transcription and secretion of IL-8 induced by LPS-stimulated cells through inhibitory ERK1/2 phosphorylation. GRNX has anti-inflammatory activity through its capacity to alter the secretion of IL-8 from A549 and THP-1 cell lines. Our findings suggest that GRNX is suitable for the treatment of LPS-induced respiratory infection and inflammatory airway diseases

Establishment of canine hemangiosarcoma xenograft models expressing endothelial growth factors, their receptors, and angiogenesis-associated homeobox genes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human hemangiosarcoma (HSA) tends to have a poor prognosis; its tumorigenesis has not been elucidated, as there is a dearth of HSA clinical specimens and no experimental model for HSA. However, the incidence of spontaneous HSA is relatively high in canines; therefore, canine HSA has been useful in the study of human HSA. Recently, the production of angiogenic growth factors and their receptors in human and canine HSA has been reported. Moreover, the growth-factor environment of HSA is very similar to that of pathophysiological angiogenesis, which some homeobox genes regulate in the transcription of angiogenic molecules. In the present study, we established 6 xenograft canine HSA tumors and detected the expression of growth factors, their receptors, and angiogenic homeobox genes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Six primary canine HSAs were xenografted to nude mice subcutaneously and serially transplanted. Subsequently, the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGF), flt-1 and flk-1 (receptors of VEGF-A), FGFR-1, and angiogenic homeobox genes HoxA9, HoxB3, HoxB7, HoxD3, Pbx1, and Meis1 were investigated in original and xenograft tumors by histopathology, immunostaining, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), using canine-specific primer sets.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Histopathologically, xenograft tumors comprised a proliferation of neoplastic cells that were varied in shape, from spindle-shaped and polygonal to ovoid; some vascular-like structures and vascular clefts of channels were observed, similar to those in the original tumors. The expression of endothelial markers (CD31 and vWF) was detected in xenograft tumors by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Moreover, the expression of VEGF-A, bFGF, flt-1, flk-1, FGFR-1, HoxA9, HoxB3, HoxB7, HoxD3, Pbx1, and Meis1 was detected in xenograft tumors. Interestingly, expressions of bFGF tended to be higher in 3 of the xenograft HSA tumors than in the other tumors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We established 6 xenograft canine HSA tumors in nude mice and found that the expressions of angiogenic growth factors and their receptors in xenograft HSAs were similar to those in spontaneous HSA. Furthermore, we detected the expression of angiogenic homeobox genes; therefore, xenograft models may be useful in analyzing malignant growth in HSA.</p

Study on Development of Children's "social conventiona" Concept : Focus on "contextualizm"

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the subjects in the moral education for considering the old research on "social conventional" concept, and raising a child's normative consciousness. In earlier researches of the morality nature, "social conventional" concept was made into the concept belonging to the same domain as a "moral" concept. However, recently, it was shown clearly by "domain-specific theory" of Turiel that the children had distinguished them from a juvenile term with the domain concept from which quality differs in "social conventional" concept and "moral" concept. The following point became clear by this research based on the theory of Turiel. 1)Development of the "social conventional" concept is related to the fall of a Japanese child's normative consciousness. 2)Instruction according to age levels is required for improvement of normative consciousness. 3)Instruction based on "contextualizm" is required for improvement of normative consciousness. However, the following things were shown as subjects by this research. 1)It is specification of the basis which determines the factor of the "contextualism" judgment over "social convention". And it is creating the decelopmental stage of a Japanese child's original "social conventional" concept. 2)It is developing the method of moral education based on the developmental stage of Japanese child's "social conventional" concept

Effect of a Moral Education Program that Cultivates the Concept of Values for Respect for Life: Developing a Questionnaire for Insight on the Developmental Stages during Elementary and Junior High School

The purpose of this paper is to develop an evaluation index and a questionnaire for measuring the effect of a moral education program that has been designed to cultivate the concept of values for respect for life. To achieve this purpose, the authors conducted a survey of 241 students from 2nd grade in elementary school to 8th grade in junior high school, asking them what it means to cherish life. The survey revealed that opinions change with age. Next, the authors compared these changes in opinion with the content of the items indicated in the guidelines for elementary school curriculum, to create an index of opinions regarding respect for life. Finally, the authors added these 12 indicators to the 20 items on a psychometric scale created during a previous research project to measure the cultivation of a "view of life". They then developed a questionnaire for measuring the cultivation of the concept of values regarding respect for life. Currently, this questionnaire is being used to conduct surveys. In the future, the authors would like to develop a more effective moral education program based on the results of these surveys.This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP22531024 and JP16K04766

The Meaning and the Effects of Cooperation between Kindergartens and Nursery schools, and Elementary Schools

Educational practices are being implemented in Japan at kindergartens/nursery schools and elementary schools in order to ensure smooth transitions from kindergarten/nursery school to elementary schools. We propose the form and substance that such linkages between kindergartens/nursery schools and elementary schools should take in order to provide for the healthy nurturing of children